2016 MERCEDES-BENZ SL ROADSTER ESP

G
WARNING
Battery acid is caustic. There is a risk of injury. Avoid contact with the skin, eyes or clothing.
Do not breathe in any battery gases. Do not
lean over the battery. Keep the batteries out
of the reach of children. Immediately rinse off
battery acid thoroughly with plenty of clean
water and seek medical attention at once. H
Environmental note Batteries contain pollutants.
It is illegal to dispose of them with the household rubbish.
They must be collected sep-
arately and disposed of in anenvironmentally responsible
recycling system. Dispose of batteries in an
environmentally responsible
manner. Take discharged
batteries to a qualified spe-
cialist workshop or to a col-
lection point for used batter-
ies.
! Have the battery checked regularly at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Observe the service intervals in the Service
Booklet or contact a qualified specialist work- shop for more information.
! Always have work on the batteries carried
out at a qualified specialist workshop. Should
it, in exceptional circumstances, be abso-
lutely necessary to disconnect the 12-volt
battery yourself, please observe the follow-
ing:
R secure the vehicle to prevent it from rolling
away.
R switch the ignition off.
R first, disconnect the negative terminal, fol-
lowed by the positive terminal.
The transmission is locked in position Pafter
disconnecting the battery.
After the work has been completed, firmly
reinstall the battery and the cover of the pos- itive terminal.
Comply with safety precautions and take pro-
tective measures when handling batteries. Risk of explosion
Fire, naked flames and smoking are
prohibited when handling the bat-
tery. Avoid creating sparks.
Battery acid is caustic. Avoid contact
with the skin, eyes or clothing.
Wear suitable protective clothing, in
particular gloves, an apron and a
face mask.
Immediately rinse acid splashes off
with clean water. Consult a doctor if necessary. Wear eye protection.
Keep children away.
Observe this Owner's Manual.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use batteries which have
been tested and approved for your vehicle by
Mercedes-Benz. These batteries provide
increased impact protection to prevent vehicle
occupants from suffering acid burns should the battery be damaged in the event of an accident.
In order for the battery to achieve the maximum possible service life, it must always be suffi-
ciently charged.
Like other batteries, the vehicle battery may
discharge over time if you do not use the vehicle.In such cases, have the battery disconnected ata qualified specialist workshop. You can also
charge the battery with a charger recommended
by Mercedes-Benz. For more information,
please contact a qualified specialist workshop.
Have the battery charge checked more fre-
quently if you use the vehicle mainly for short
trips or if you leave it standing idle for a lengthy period. Consult a qualified specialist workshop
if you wish to leave your vehicle parked up for a
long period of time.
When you park the vehicle, remove the key if you do not require any electrical consumers. The 294
Battery (vehicle)Breakdown assistance

vehicle will then use very little energy, thus con-
serving battery power. Charging the battery
G
WARNING
During charging and jump-starting, explosive
gases can escape from the battery. There is a risk of an explosion.
Particularly avoid fire, naked flames, creating
sparks and smoking. Ensure there is sufficient
ventilation while charging and jump-starting.
Do not lean over a battery. G
WARNING
Battery acid is caustic. There is a risk of injury. Avoid contact with the skin, eyes or clothing.
Do not breathe in any battery gases. Do not
lean over the battery. Keep the batteries out
of the reach of children. Immediately rinse off
battery acid thoroughly with plenty of clean
water and seek medical attention at once. G
WARNING
A discharged battery can freeze at tempera-
tures below freezing point. When jump-start-
ing the vehicle or charging the battery, gases can escape from the battery. There is a risk of
an explosion.
Allow the frozen battery to thaw out before
charging it or jump-starting.
! Only charge the installed battery with a bat-
tery charger which has been tested and
approved by Mercedes-Benz. These battery
chargers allow the battery to be charged while still installed in the vehicle.
! Only use battery chargers with a maximum
charging voltage of 14.8 V.
! Only
charge the battery using the jump-start
connection point.
The jump-starting connection point is in the
engine compartment.
If the indicator/warning lamps do not light up at
low temperatures, it is very likely that the dis-
charged battery has frozen. In this case you may
neither jump-start the vehicle nor charge the battery. The service life of a battery that has
been thawed may be reduced. The starting char-
acteristics may be impaired, especially at low
temperatures. Have the thawed battery
checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
Read the battery charger's operating instruc-
tions before charging the battery.
X Open the bonnet.
X Connect the battery charger to the positive
terminal and earth point in the same order as
when connecting the donor battery in the
jump-starting procedure (Y page 296). Battery (vehicle)
295Breakdown assistance Z

Jump-starting
For the jump-starting procedure, use only the jump-starting connection point, consisting of a pos- itive terminal and an earth point, in the engine compartment. G
WARNING
Battery acid is caustic. There is a risk of injury.
Avoid contact with the skin, eyes or clothing. Do not breathe in any battery gases. Do not lean over the battery. Keep the batteries out of the reach of children. Immediately rinse off battery acid
thoroughly with plenty of clean water and seek medical attention at once. G
WARNING
During charging and jump-starting, explosive gases can escape from the battery. There is a risk of an explosion.
Particularly avoid fire, naked flames, creating sparks and smoking. Ensure there is sufficient
ventilation while charging and jump-starting. Do not lean over a battery. G
WARNING
During the charging process, a battery produces hydrogen gas. If a short circuit occurs or sparks
are created, the hydrogen gas can ignite. There is a risk of an explosion.
R Make sure that the positive terminal of a connected battery does not come into contact with
vehicle parts.
R Never place metal objects or tools on a battery.
R It is important that you observe the described order of the battery terminals when connecting
and disconnecting a battery.
R When jump-starting, make sure that the battery poles with identical polarity are connected.
R It is particularly important to observe the described order when connecting and disconnecting
the jump leads.
R Never connect or disconnect the battery terminals while the engine is running. G
WARNING
A discharged battery can freeze at temperatures below freezing point. When jump-starting the
vehicle or charging the battery, gases can escape from the battery. There is a risk of an explosion.
Allow the frozen battery to thaw out before charging it or jump-starting.
! Avoid repeated and lengthy starting attempts. Otherwise, the catalytic converter could be
damaged by the non-combusted fuel.
If the indicator/warning lamps do not light up at low temperatures, it is very likely that the dis-
charged battery has frozen. In this case you may neither jump-start the vehicle nor charge the
battery. The service life of a battery that has been thawed may be reduced. The starting charac-
teristics may be impaired, especially at low temperatures. Have the thawed battery checked at a
qualified specialist workshop. 296
Jump-startingBreakdown assistance

Towing the vehicle with both axles on
the ground G
WARNING
If the steering wheel lock is engaged, the vehi- cle can no longer be steered. There is a risk of
an accident.
Always switch on the ignition when towing
with a tow rope or a towing bar.
The automatic transmission automatically shifts
to position Pwhen you open the driver's or front-
passenger door or when you remove the key
from the ignition lock.
In order to ensure that the automatic transmis-
sion stays in position Nwhen towing away the
vehicle, you must observe the following points:
X Switch on the hazard warning lamps
(Y page 115).
X Make sure that the vehicle is stationary and
that the key is in position 0in the ignition lock.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition lock.
On vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, use the key
instead of the Start/Stop button
(Y page 132).
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Shift the transmission to position N.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Release the electric parking brake.
X Leave the key in position 2in the ignition lock.
In order to signal a change of direction when
towing the vehicle with the hazard warning
lamps switched on, use the combination switch
as usual. In this case, only the turn signals for
the desired direction flash. When the combina-
tion switch is reset, the hazard warning lamps
start flashing again.
It is important that you observe the safety
instructions when towing away your vehicle
(Y page 298). Towing the vehicle away with the rear
axle raised
! The ignition must be switched off if you are
towing the vehicle with the rear axle raised.
Intervention by ESP ®
could otherwise dam-
age the brake system. !
Vehicles with automatic transmission must
not be towed with the rear axle raised. The
car/trailer combination may otherwise
swerve or even overturn. Transporting the vehicle
Vehicles with automatic transmission !
When the vehicle is loaded for transport, the
front and rear axles must be stationary and on the same transportation vehicle. Positioning
over the connection point of the transport
vehicle is not permitted. The drive train may
otherwise be damaged.
All vehicles !
You may only secure the vehicle by the
wheels, not by parts of the vehicle such as
axle or steering components. Otherwise, the
vehicle could be damaged.
The towing eye can be used to pull the vehicle
onto a trailer or transporter for transportation.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition lock.
X Shift the transmission to position N.
As soon as the vehicle is loaded:
X Safeguard the vehicle against rolling away by
applying the electric parking brake.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
X Turn the key to position 0in the ignition lock
and remove it.
X Secure the vehicle. 300
Towing away and tow-startingBreakdown assistance

reduces the traction on wet roads (aquaplan-
ing).
R Replace the tyres after six years at the latest,
regardless of wear.
Observe the notes on the emergency spare
wheel (Y page 318). MOExtended tyres (tyres with run-flat
characteristics)
With MOExtended tyres (tyres with run-flat char-
acteristics), you can continue to drive your vehi- cle even if there is a total loss of pressure in one
or more tyres.
MOExtended tyres may only be used in conjunc- tion with an activated tyre pressure loss warning system or with an activated tyre pressure mon-
itor and on wheels specifically tested by
Mercedes-Benz.
Notes on driving with MOExtended tyres with a
flat tyre (Y page 289).
Vehicles with MOExtended tyres are not equip-
ped with a TIREFIT kit at the factory. It is there-
fore recommended that you additionally equip
your vehicle with a TIREFIT kit if you fit tyres that do not feature run-flat characteristics, e.g. win-
ter tyres. A TIREFIT kit can be obtained from a
qualified specialist workshop. Winter operation
General notes
Have your vehicle winterproofed at a qualified
specialist workshop at the onset of winter.
Observe the notes in the "Changing a wheel"
section (Y page 312). Driving with summer tyres
At temperatures below +7 †, summer tyres lose
elasticity and therefore traction and braking
power. Change the tyres on your vehicle to
M+S tyres. Using summer tyres at very cold
temperatures could cause tears to form,
thereby damaging the tyres permanently.
Mercedes-Benz cannot accept responsibility for
this type of damage. G
WARNING
Damaged tyres can cause tyre inflation pres-
sure loss. As a result, you could lose control of your vehicle. There is a risk of accident.
Check the tyres regularly for signs of damageand replace any damaged tyres immediately. M+S tyres
G
WARNING
M+S tyres with a tyre tread depth of less than 4 mm are not suitable for use in winter as they
do not provide sufficient traction. There is a
risk of accident.
M+S tyres with a tread depth of less than
4 mm must be replaced.
At temperatures below +7 †, use winter tyres or all-season tyres. Both are marked with M+S.
Only winter tyres bearing the isnowflake
symbol in addition to the M+S marking provide
the best possible grip in wintry road conditions.
Only these tyres will allow driving safety sys-
tems such as ABS and ESP ®
to function opti-
mally in winter. These tyres have been devel-
oped specifically for driving in snow.
Use M+S tyres of the same make and tread on all wheels to maintain safe handling characteris-
tics.
Always observe the maximum permissible
speed specified for the M+S tyres you have fit-
ted.
If you fit M+S tyres that have a lower maximum
permissible speed than that of the maximum
design speed of the vehicle, affix a correspond-
ing warning label in the driver's field of vision.
This can be obtained at a qualified specialist
workshop.
Under these circumstances, you should also
restrict the maximum design speed of the vehi- cle using permanent SPEEDTRONIC so that it
does not exceed the maximum permissible
speed for the M+S tyres (Y page 172).306
Winter operationWheels and tyres

When you have fitted the M+S tyres:
X Check the tyre pressures (Y page 307).
X Restart the tyre pressure loss warning system
(Y page 309).
X Restart the tyre pressure monitor
(Y page 311).
Information about driving with an emergency
spare wheel (Y page 318). Snow chains
G
WARNING
If you have fitted snow chains to the front
wheels, they may scrape against the vehicle
body or chassis components. This could
cause damage to the vehicle or the tyres.
There is a risk of an accident.
To avoid hazardous situations:
R never fit snow chains on the front wheels
R fit snow chains to the rear wheels in pairs.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use snow chains that have been specifically approved for your vehicle by
Mercedes-Benz, or that are of a corresponding
standard of quality. For more information,
please contact a qualified specialist workshop.
If you intend to fit snow chains, please bear the
following points in mind:
R snow chains cannot be fitted to all wheel-tyre
combinations. Permissible wheel-tyre combi-
nations (Y page 317).
R only use snow chains if the road surface is
completely snow-covered. Remove the snow
chains as soon as possible when you come to
a road that is not snow-covered.
R local regulations may restrict the use of snow
chains. Observe the appropriate regulations if you wish to fit snow chains.
R do not exceed the maximum permissible
speed of 50 km/h.
R on vehicles with Active Body Control (ABC),
you must drive at a raised vehicle level if snow
chains have been fitted (Y page 175).
When pulling away with snow chains fitted, you
can deactivate ESP ®
(Y page 67). This way you
can allow the wheels to spin in a controlled
manner, achieving increased driving force (cut-
ting action). Information about driving with an emergency
spare wheel (Y
page 318). Tyre pressure
Tyre pressure specifications
G
WARNING
Underinflated or overinflated tyres pose the
following risks:
R the tyres may burst, especially as the load
and vehicle speed increase.
R the tyres may wear excessively and/or
unevenly, which may greatly impair tyre
traction.
R the driving characteristics, as well as steer-
ing and braking, may be greatly impaired.
There is a risk of an accident.
Observe the recommended tyre pressure and check the tyre pressure of all the tyres includ-
ing the spare wheel:
R at least every two weeks
R when the load changes
R before embarking on a longer journey
R for changed operating conditions, e.g. off-
road driving
If necessary, correct the tyre pressure. G
WARNING
If you fit unsuitable accessories onto tyre
valves, the tyre valves may be overloaded and malfunction, which can cause tyre pressure
loss. Due to their design, retrofitted tyre pres-
sure monitors keep the tyre valve open. This
can also result in tyre pressure loss. There is a risk of accident.
Only screw standard valve caps or valve caps
specifically provided by Mercedes-Benz for
your vehicle onto the tyre valve. G
WARNING
If the tyre pressure drops repeatedly, the
wheel, valve or tyre may be damaged. Tyre
pressure that is too low may result in a tyre
blow-out. There is a risk of accident. Tyre pressure
307Wheels and tyres
Z

R
Check the tyre for foreign objects.
R Check whether the wheel is losing air or the
valve is leaking.
If you are unable to rectify the damage, con-
tact a qualified specialist workshop. H
Environmental note
Check the tyre pressure regularly, at least
every 14 days.
The recommended tyre pressures for various
operating conditions can be found in the tyre
pressure table on the fuel filler flap
(Y page 152).
Operation with an emergency spare wheel:
information on operation with an emergency
spare wheel can be found in the general notes in
the "Emergency spare wheel" section
(Y page 318).
Additionally, the tyre pressure table may also
state tyre pressures for different load condi-
tions. These are defined in the table as different numbers of passengers and amounts of lug-
gage. The actual number of seats may vary; for
more information, please refer to the vehicle's
registration documents.
If tyre sizes are not specified, the tyre pressures stated on the tyre pressure table apply for all
tyres approved for this vehicle. If a tyre size precedes a tyre pressure, the fol-
lowing tyre pressure information is only valid for
that tyre size.
Use a suitable pressure gauge to check the tyre
pressure. The outer appearance of a tyre does
not permit any reliable conclusion about the tyre
pressure. On vehicles fitted with the electronic
tyre pressure monitor, the tyre pressure can be checked using the on-board computer. If possible, only correct tyre pressures when the
tyres are cold.
The tyres are cold:
R if the vehicle has been parked with the tyres
out of direct sunlight for at least three hours
and
R if the vehicle has not been driven further than
1.6 km
Depending on the ambient temperature, the
vehicle speed and the load on the tyres, the tyre temperature and thus the tyre pressure changes
by approximately 10 kPa (0.1 bar/1.5 psi) per
10 †. Take this into account when checking the
pressure of warm tyres. Only correct the tyre
pressure if it is too low for the current operating conditions.
Driving with tyre pressure that is too high or too
low can:
R shorten the service life of the tyres
R cause increased tyre damage
R have a negative effect on handling character-
istics and thus driving safety (e.g. aquaplan-
ing)
The tyre pressure values given for low loads are minimum values which offer you good ride com-
fort characteristics.
However, you can also use the values given for
higher loads. These are permissible and will not adversely affect the running of the vehicle. Tyre pressure loss warning system
General notes While the vehicle is in motion, the tyre pressure
loss warning system monitors the set tyre pres-
sure using the rotational speed of the wheels.
This enables the system to detect significant
pressure loss in a tyre. If the speed of rotation of a wheel changes as a result of a loss of pressure,
a corresponding warning message will appear in
the multifunction display.
You can recognise the tyre pressure loss warn-
ing by the Run Flat Indicator active Run Flat Indicator active
Restart with OK
Restart with OK message which appears in
the Serv.
Serv. menu of the multifunction display.
Information on the message display can be
found in the "Restarting the tyre pressure loss
warning system" section (Y page 309).308
Tyre pressureWheels and tyres

Important safety notes
The tyre pressure warning system does not warn
you of an incorrectly set tyre pressure. Observe
the notes on the recommended tyre pressure
(Y page 307).
The tyre pressure loss warning does not replace
the need to regularly check the tyre pressures.
An even loss of pressure on several tyres at the
same time cannot be detected by the tyre pres- sure loss warning system.
The tyre pressure monitor is not able to warn
you of a sudden loss of pressure, e.g. if the tyre
is penetrated by a foreign object. In the event of
a sudden loss of pressure, bring the vehicle to a halt by braking carefully. Avoid abrupt steering
manoeuvres.
The function of the tyre pressure loss warning
system is limited or delayed if:
R snow chains are fitted to your vehicle's tyres.
R road conditions are wintry.
R you are driving on sand or gravel.
R you adopt a very sporty driving style (corner-
ing at high speeds or driving with high rates of
acceleration).
R you drive with a heavy load.
Restarting the tyre pressure loss warn-
ing system Restart the tyre pressure loss warning system if
you have:
R changed the tyre pressure
R changed the wheels or tyres
R fitted new wheels or tyres
X Before restarting, make sure that the tyre
pressures are set properly on all four tyres for
the respective operating conditions. The rec-
ommended tyre pressures can be found in the
tyre pressure table on the fuel filler flap.
The tyre pressure loss warning system can
only give reliable warnings if you have set the correct tyre pressure. If an incorrect tyre
pressure is set, these incorrect values will be
monitored.
X Observe the notes in the section on tyre pres-
sures (Y page 307).
X Make sure that the key is in position 2in the
ignition lock (Y page 132).
X Press the =or; button on the steering
wheel to select the Serv.
Serv. menu. X
Press the 9or: button to select
Tyre pressure Tyre pressure.
X Press the abutton.
The Run Flat Indicator active Run Flat Indicator active
Restart with OK
Restart with OK message appears in the
multifunction display.
If you wish to confirm the restart:
X Press the abutton.
The Tyre
Tyre press.
press. now
nowOK?
OK?message appears
in the multifunction display.
X Press the 9or: button to select Yes
Yes .
X Press the abutton.
The Run Flat Indicator restarted
Run Flat Indicator restarted mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
After a teach-in period, the tyre pressure loss warning system will monitor the set tyre pres-
sures of all four tyres.
If you wish to cancel the restart: X Press the %button.
or X If the Tyre press. now OK?
Tyre press. now OK? message
appears, use the 9or: button to
select Cancel Cancel .
X Press the abutton.
The tyre pressure values stored at the last
restart will continue to be monitored. Tyre pressure monitor
General notes If a tyre pressure monitor system is fitted, the
vehicle's wheels have sensors fitted that moni-
tor the tyre pressures in all four tyres. The tyre
pressure monitor warns you if the pressure
drops in one or more of the tyres. The tyre pres- sure monitor only functions if the corresponding
sensors are fitted to all wheels.
Information on tyre pressures is shown in the
multifunction display. After a few minutes of
driving, the current tyre pressure of each tyre is
shown in the Service Servicemenu of the multifunction
display. Tyre pressure
309Wheels and tyres Z